Aeroplane



' S,. A. WILLIAMSON.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2. I92].

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 1- S. A. WILLIAMSON.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, I92].

1 07,505 Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Be it known'that I, SEAMAN A. WILLIAM- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Point Richmond, in the county of Contra .Costa andState of California, have invented new and useful Improvements 1nAeroplanes, of. which the following is a specification. s

This invention'relates to aeroplanes and similar aerial vessels andhasprimarily for its object to devise .aneflicient means whereby theascent, or the too rapid descent of the vessel is controlled accordingto the adjustment of the regulating means provided therefor.

, Another object of this invention is to pro-- vide means disposedadjacent the center of gravity for balancingv the aeroplane, which meansis adapted to be used for ascending and likewise descending, and whichreeludes possibility of the usual dipping w en passing through varyingatmospheric zones, and also in no way interfering with the operation oftheaeroplane or retarding its movement.

.A further object bf this invention is a r provide an improved mechanismpositioned in close proximity to the body of the aeroplane,.which ismanually controlled'by the operator and easily adjusted to various pos1-tions. 1 3

A still further object of this invention is to provide asupport for thestabilizing meansfor the aeroplane which can be readily applied theretowithout materiallyaltering the construction of the same; '1

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent'du'ringthe course of the following description In the accompanyingdrawings-forming numerals are employed to designate 'like section of theparts throughout thesame,

Figure l-is a view of the machine in side elevation,

trolling the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented )Fgb, 21, 1922,Application filed February 12, 1921 1 Serial No. 444,408. I v

plane which is provided with upper and lower sustaining planes 7 and 8,the upper plane being slotted as shown at 8.

" numeral 6. designates the body of the aero- In the body of theaeroplane there is mounted the usual motor 9 which controls thepropeller shaft 10 carrying the usual 1 propeller 11 disposed at thefront end of the body 6. This construction is of the con-c ventionaltype and forms nopart of my invention.

The numeral 12 designates a pair of su porting guides detachablyfastened at their free extremities to the body of the aeroplane 6.

Disposed between and connecting the guides is a cross piece 13 providedwith a centrally located upper bearing '14.- As

'shown to advantage in Figure 3, the cross piece is likewise providedwith apertured extremities 14 adapted to. encircle the guides 12Suitably mounted within the body 6 is a base support 15 provided withvertical standards 15 adjusted to receive therein a shaft 16.. Theynumeral 17 designates a frame as a whole, which includes a yoke member18 and anupper portion 19 formed integral with the cross piece. 13.Formed 1n the lower extremity of the yoke member 18 is a gear segment 20adapt'edto inesh with a'worm 21 provided on a control shaft 22'journaled in extensions '23 formed intefgral with the base support 15.Then'umeral 23' designates a control column and .23" indicates auniversal] coupling adapted to actuate the shaft 22 upon movement of thecontrol column 23".

- This construction is set forth in Figures 3 and 4, while in dottedline position in Figure 1 there is shown the means for conaction of theworm on the gearsegment.

From this construction it will be apparentlthat movement of the wormwill cause the frame to assume'various-angular posi I tions; v V

Formed integral with the upper portion of-the yoke 18 is a lower bearing24, which together with the upper bearing 14 .en- "-circle a normallyvertical propeller shaft 25, I

which has on its lower extremity a beveled gear 26' and likewise-carriesonits. upper extremity an auxiliary or'horizontally .posed propeller 27adapted to rotate on a vertical axis and designed for use in. ascend ingor descending, which use will be hereinafter more fully described.

In order that the weight of the propeller shaft may be supported on thebearing 24, I have provided a collar 28 which rests on the bearing androtates with the shaft. The collar 28 is provided with a flat face 29,whereby the rotating action of the shaft may be gradually checked whenapivoted" arm 30 1s swung from its normal vertical position to itsretarding position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, and in detailin Figure 5.

It will thus be evident that means are provided for checking. therotation of the vertical propeller shaft and thus overcoming the airresistance offered by the horizontal or auxiliary propeller when itspose has been accomplished.

Meshing with the gear wheel 26 is a master gear 31, which in turn hasmeshing therewith for the purpose of driving the same, a second bevelgear 32 mounted on a sectional engine shaft 33 which has associatedtherewith a friction clutch 34 of the conventional type. For the purposeof supporting the en 'ne shaft and its associated clutch, a stan ard 34'has been provided which is integrally formed with the base member 15.

It will thus be evident that means are provided for throwing thevertical propeller shaft out or for drivin the same when so desired,according to t exmanipulation of readily have the stabilizing meansassume either of the dotted line positions shown to advantage in Fi ure1.

In operation t erefore, assuming that the operator wishes to employ theauxiliary propeller to assist in the ascent, the driving propeller isstarted, then the vclutch 1s throwrr, in and through the action of thebevel gear 32 on the master gear 31, the auxiliary propeller is rotated..When this action occurs, the operator by a manipulation of the controlcolumn causes the worm be made, the same 0 eration as above describedfor causing t e auxiliary propeller to operate, is repeated, but onlyw1th a .reverse movement of the control wheel. The

auxiliary propeller will then assume an aft position and the speed ofthe aeroplane canto a great degree be checked so that a landing can bemade on a comparatively small area.

' It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herein shown anddescribed, is.

to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changesin the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

Having thus claim 1. In an aeroplane, a body portion, a pair ofsustaining planes mounted thereon, one of said planes being slotted, amain drivin propeller, an auxiliary propeller, a sectiona described myinvention, I

engine shaft for driving said main propeller and said auxiliarypropeller, a clutch mounted on said sectional shaft for alternatelythrowing said auxiliary propeller into and out of engagement with saidengine shaft, a frame positioned within the body portion of saidaeroplane for supporting said auxiliary propeller, and means under thecontrol of an occupant for rocking said frame to cause said auxiliarypropeller to assume different an 1131' positions.

2. In an aeroplane, t e combination with a body portion,of sustainingplanes mounted on said bod a driving propeller, an auxiliarv propelfer,a frame positioned in the body of said aeroplane and adapted to holdsaid auxiliary propeller, mechanism, for

rocking said frame, and a universal coupling connected to said mechanismand adapted to SEAMAN A. WILLIAMSON.

